“There’s no such thing as a safe tan” – it’s the unfortunate truth for everyone looking to get a little color this summer.
“Anytime you expose your skin to the sun, you’re exposing your skin to those UV or ultraviolet rays which are the components that will cause skin cancer and premature skin aging as well, like wrinkles,” said Dr. Krystle Gadrinab-Jones of Edward Medical Group.
Helpful Hints for Healthy Skin
If you’re planning on spending time in the sun, Dr. Gadrinab-Jones recommends three ways to maintain sun safety this summer:
Try to avoid the high sun hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when UV rays are strongest, wear UV-protective sunglasses, and of course, cover up all exposed skin with sunscreen.
But with dozens of options to choose from, how do you know which brands provide the best protection?
The Right Sunscreen
“You want to find a sunscreen that says on the bottle “broad spectrum”. Because the broad spectrum sunscreen is going to actually protect you from two types of UV rays. UVA and UVB.”
That “broad spectrum” designation is more important than SPF for sun safety – the magic number for which is 30, which will protect your skin from 97% of UV rays.
And contrary to what many might think, clouds do not block UV rays, so even on cloudy or overcast days, it’s important to wear sunscreen.
Naperville News 17’s Casey Krajewski reports.
